COP 05-0602: Educational Benefits

Purpose Statement

To establish a procedure that provides eligibility and educational requirements to receive an Florida SouthWestern Tuition Scholarship or Tuition Reimbursement. This program is reviewed annually and implementation each year is dependent on available funding.

Guidelines

Florida SouthWestern State College encourages its employees to obtain skills, knowledge and abilities that will increase the effectiveness of their performance in their present college position, as well as improve their opportunities for possible career advancement within the College. The tuition scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs are designed to support this philosophy.

1. Florida SouthWestern Tuition Scholarships
   1. Employees are eligible to receive Florida SouthWestern tuition scholarships beginning with the semester following the completion of the eligibility requirements defined below. The benefit includes all course fees for Florida SouthWestern State College credit and some noncredit (Continuing Education) courses as follows. The President, or designee, has the authority to approve exceptions to this procedure for the benefit of the College.
      1. Eligibility:
         1. Full-time and part-time regular employees, and
         2. Employed at least six (6) consecutive months with the College, and
         3. Successfully completed probation period, and
         4. Remains in good standing.
      2. Educational Benefits:
         1. Maximum benefit is 12 credit hours per semester and 24 credit hours per academic year.
         2. The benefit may be shared between the employee and qualifying dependents but may not exceed the semester and annual limits, unless both parents are employees of the College. In the case where husband and wife both work for the College, a maximum total benefit of 24 credit hours per semester and 48 credit hours per academic year may be shared between the employees and their qualifying dependents.
         3. This benefit does not cover multiple attempt or lifelong learning charges.
         4. If the employee has received any other form of non-repayable financial aid (i.e. scholarship, grant, financial aid, etc.), the Florida SouthWestern Tuition Scholarship will be based on the reduced amount. Loans and Florida pre-paid are not considered non-repayable.
         5. The employee must meet the College's admissions and prerequisite requirements for the course(s) to be taken under this rule.
         6. Must comply with the College’s Standards of Academic Progress in order to continue to take courses under this procedure beyond the initial session.
         7. The employee is responsible for any testing, admission, and/or applicable application fees.
         8. Course(s) to be taken under this rule may be taken for credit or audit in accordance with appropriate Board Policies regarding credit and/or audit.
         9. Benefit for non-credit courses (Continuing Education) may not exceed $300.00 within each academic term (Fall, Spring, Summer) and must be for course(s) in which the fee is paid directly to the College and not to an outside vendor partnered with the College. The non-credit course benefit is in addition to the benefit for credit courses as described above. However, the dollar value for the non-credit benefit cannot be used to supplement the benefit for credit courses. This benefit is provided on a “space available” basis and is determined by the Department of Continuing Education.
         10. The employee must have prior approval of his/her supervisor before taking a course(s) under this procedure.
         11. No courses will be approved to be taken during the employee’s normal work day unless the course(s) clearly contributes to the enhancement of the employee’s job skills as they relate to the College as determined by the employee’s supervisor and approved by the Human Resources.
   2. Spouses and dependents:
      1. Eligibility:
         1. Eligible Dependent is defined as a legally married spouse of the employee, or a child or step-child under the age of 27, of the employee. Documentation verifying the employee’s relationship(s) with their dependent(s) will be required prior to Human Resources approving this benefit.
            1. Educational benefits for eligible spouses or dependent child(ren):
               1. Benefit applies to credit courses only.
               2. The dependent must meet the College's admissions and prerequisite requirements for the course(s) to be taken under this rule.
               3. The dependent must comply with the College’s Standards of Academic Progress in order to continue to take courses under this procedure beyond the initial session.
               4. The spouse or dependent is responsible for any testing, admission, and/or applicable application fees.
               5. Properly documented proof of eligibility is required for spouse and dependent child(ren).
               6. If the spouse or dependent child(ren) has received any other form of nonrepayable financial aid (i.e. scholarship, grant, financial aid, etc.), the Florida SouthWestern Tuition Scholarship will be based on the reduced amount. Loans and Florida pre-paid are not considered non-repayable.
               7. Applications for Florida SouthWestern Tuition Scholarships are available from the Office of Human Resources.
2. Tuition Reimbursement
   Note: A Tuition Reimbursement Program Application must be submitted and approved three (3) weeks prior to the beginning of the coursework; failure to do so may result in coursework not being reimbursed.
   1. The Tuition Reimbursement Program allows eligible employees to enroll in academic degree programs at regionally accredited degree-granting educational institutions, and to be reimbursed part or all of the tuition expense.
   2. Degrees or certificates offered at Florida SouthWestern State College will not be reimbursed if taken at other institutions. The Registrar or designee will determine degree comparability.
   3. Eligibility:
      1. Employees must be full-time regular employees,
      2. Employed at least six (6) consecutive months with the College, and
      3. Successfully completed probation and remain in good standing.
      4. An employee must reestablish eligibility after a break in service.
      5. Employees must comply with all procedural requirements within the specified timeframes.
      6. Employees are eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement benefits beginning with the semester following the completion of the eligibility requirements defined above.
   4. The course work should be in pursuance of an academic degree at an upper-level college or university (i.e. Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate). However, program applications for work-relevant undergraduate and graduate courses, as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, not taken in pursuit of an academic degree will be given favorable consideration. The receipt of an academic degree or an additional degree will not result in an upgrade of the employee’s position or ensure that an employee will receive priority for position vacancies.
   5. Application and Payment Request due dates: An application for tuition reimbursement benefits must be submitted to the Human Resources office no later than 3 weeks prior to the start of the class. Upon completion of the class, the original approved Tuition Reimbursement Application form with the Reimbursement Certification section completed, a copy of the official grade report, and proof of payment for the class(es) must be submitted to Human Resources via online workflow.
   6. Tuition reimbursement benefits are not transferable to a spouse or dependent.
   7. The tuition reimbursement program is based on availability of funds, and the College President or designee may suspend, limit or otherwise revise the program at any time, including semester by semester.
   8. For purposes of this procedure, the academic year begins with the fall term; however, reimbursement funds are budgeted on a fiscal year. Approvals will be based on availability of funds within a fiscal year. If the employee has received any other form of reimbursement for the course(s) for which reimbursement is being requested (i.e. scholarship, grant, financial aid, etc.), tuition reimbursement will be based on the reduced amount.
   9. The employee must receive a minimum final course grade of 2.0 (“C”) on a 4.0 grade scale for each undergraduate course; and a minimum final course grade of 3.0 (“B”) or a grade considered as “passing” by the degree-granting institution on a 4.0 grade scale for each graduate or post-graduate course. One hundred percent of reimbursable costs will be made for passing a “pass/fail” course.
   10. Reimbursement shall not exceed the current Fall semester Florida Gulf Coast University rate for in-state fees for equivalent course level (i.e. the FGCU bachelor’s rate for bachelor’s level courses, the FGCU master’s rate for master’s level courses, etc.).
   11. Reimbursements are subject to Internal Revenue Code regulations.
   12. Reimbursement eligibility is limited to six (6) credit hours per semester and 12 credit hours per academic year; the academic year runs from Fall semester through the following summer semesters.
   13. Tuition reimbursement approval will be revoked if the employee terminates employment with the College or is terminated before completion (grade distribution) of the course.
   14. Additional information on eligibility, guidelines and required due dates, as well as an application, may be obtained in the Office of Human Resources.

Procedures